The best way to start the day

Effective change

The picture is my computer screensaver and some mornings I wonder “Why? What is this change stuff all about? I’ve changed, why is …. (fill in the blanks of that particular moment that is annoying/affecting me) this happening?”

This morning I got it. Change must be constant, every single moment of every day. It made me think of a car.

Travelling along a straight road – even with no ups or downs – if you take your foot off the accelerator the car will eventually stop. Forget about going up a hill, but downhill, hey, that’s easy but best you be buckled up.

Most people are travelling along the road of life, nicely within the speed limit. Using all the roads that are mainly level, the odd bit of a hill here and there and occasionally encountering a downhill.

The whiners of the world, those high maintenance people that suck the very life out of you are the ones that ride in third gear and the windgat ones push the speed limit and love bragging about it.

But the ones that get the most of out of this road called life are those that keep their cars well maintained, they don’t strain the gearbox and they don’t take unnecessary risks. They glance in the rear-view mirror, they don’t stare at it and they keep their eyes on the road. They pay attention to things that are good for their cars, and they hang out with other car enthusiasts, not people who don’t like cars or can’t drive – or get carsick!

There have been some challenging times for me, when that screensaver comes on and I think what else am I supposed to do to change. As I said – change must be constant to be effective. Every day, the way you react to events, to people, gives you an opportunity to change. You get to choose whether that change is going to be a trip down the hill or up.